Ben Folds Live

by

Ben Folds

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Besides Nirvana's notorious Unplugged In New York, this is the best live CD I own. After Ben Folds left Ben Folds Five, I don't think there was a lot of faith in him as a solo artist. But after hearing Rockin' The Suburbs and after this recording, I almost enjoy him more on his own. I realize that many people would strongly disagree; and that's understandable. But even if you don't like Ben as a soloist, you'll still be able to appreciate this album.

The CD includes 17 songs. I believe 11 of them are from the Ben Folds Five era. Only four of the songs came from Rockin' The Suburbs. The other two are "Tiny Dancer"; which is a cover of the classic Elton John song, and "Rock This Bxtch"; which is only 1:18 long but the most original, impromptu song to seemingly `spark' from being on stage. Of those four songs from his solo CD, the best are "Fred Jones Part 2" and "Not The Same". "Fred Jones", if you may remember, is a sort-of-sequel to Whatever & Ever Amen song "Cigarette". The song was brilliant when I heard it on the album, but is better here. Cake singer John McCrea appears on both versions, and really adds to its excellence; especially live. The chant of the crowd lets you know when he walks out. It may be my favorite song on this CD. "Not The Same" is a good song, one I've enjoyed more thanks to its appearance on Ben Folds Live. As far as "Zak And Sara" and "The Luckiest", live they're pretty average. "The Luckiest" was better in studio, yet still decent. I don't know much about "One Down" or "Emaline"; but both are good tracks.

As I've hinted to, I cannot say enough good things about "Rock This Bxtch" and "Tiny Dancer". Without those two songs the CD would not have gotten 5 stars. It would've only been four. You have to hear "Rock This Bxtch" to believe it. Although my girlfriend has said time and time again that Ben's piano-driven "Tiny Dancer" is not as good as Elton John's piano-driven original, it's still awesome--and in my opinion, much better than the first patented version.

As you look at the 11 songs from the Ben Folds Five generation, you'll find some of their unprecedented greats as well as some of their more underrated songs. Fittingly, the CD starts with "One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces", one of their all-time classics. "Best Imitation Of Myself", "The Last Polka", and "Philosophy" are three of, if not THE best off their infamous self-titled debut. "Philosophy" is particularly good, as Ben dubs it `(inc misirlou)' in good fun. Along with Whatever & Ever Amen's "One Angry Dwarf...", Ben Folds Live embraces "Brick". What makes it so special live (here), is that Ben comments on what the song is actually about (at the very end of "Fred Jones Part 2"). Which, if you didn't know, is an abortion he and his girlfriend had once suffered through while their parents were out of town. If you were unaware of this fact; and you like "Brick", you'll soon love it even more. From The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner you'll hear "Jane", "Narcolepsy" and "Army"--my personal favorite Ben Folds/Five song. Ben ends "Army" by rewriting his original lyrics to read: 'I thought about... your mommy', instead of '...the army'. Funny, nonetheless.

All things considered, Ben Folds Live is a remarkable live CD. Whether you liked Ben Folds as a member of his three-member group or prefer him solo, you will find yourself enjoying this album thoroughly. However, if you liked one BBF record more than the rest or only know the widely held "Brick", you'll be a bit lost within the music. And although most of the songs are copyrighted to Ben Folds Five, all the songs were recorded solo (except "Fred Jones Part 2" of course). Ben Folds is one of those rare, comical geniuses in a music world filled with flaunty pop singers and endless nameless rap artists. Yet he falls victim to those same persons' fashions and styles. Sadly, I missed a chance to see Ben Folds with his piano at Summerfest (in Milwaukee) this past summer, and it`s the one thing I deeply regret about my life. Honestly. This CD will never be able to make up for that. Yet every song on this CD is excellent. Buy Ben Folds' Ben Folds Live and I assure you it will rank among your favorite Ben Folds/Five and live albums ever; as it will be playing in your CD player over and over again.

Ben Folds Five was one of my favorite bands and remains so. The songwriting, harmonies and musicianship are hard to match, and to carry off rock and roll without the hint of guitar (with one notable exception) is amazing. Following the breakup of the band, Ben's first solo album carried on in the same tradition, with Ben supplying most of the bass and drumwork himself.

Without a rhythm section, though, Ben loses a lot of his edge. When I hear the songs on this disc, I inevitably compare them to the more produced versions I know so well, and these live track come out a little lacking for me. While the intimate, solo setting provides nice insights into ballads like "The Luckiest," the more rocking tunes like "Not the Same" and "Philosophy" come out a little flat.

What this disc made me do is go pull out my old Ben Folds Five CDs, for which I'm quite grateful. And I also enjoyed Ben's between-song chatter about the songs.

To sum up, I'd only recommend this if 1) you really loved Ben's solo tour--the one without a band, or 2) you want to keep a complete Ben Folds collection. If you're in the market for some off-the-wall tracks and B-sides, I'd go for the "Naked Baby Photos" album instead.